This invention relates generally to a master-slave type manipulator and more particularly, to a controlling apparatus of a master-slave type manipulator which will be suitable for carrying out various operations safely in an environment unendurable to people and in outer space.
In conventional master-slave type manipulators in general, there is the requirement that a master arm and a slave arm must have the same or similar configuration and hence, free design of an arm structure cannot be made.
Since remarkable progress in calculation of speed has resulted from advances in computer technology, real time calculation control of the manipulator, that has been difficult in the past, has become possible, and attempts have been made to change the analog servo control of the master-slave type manipulator which has been predominant in the past to computer control which can attain more complicated and higher control in order to improve maneuverability of the manipulator. As an example of such attempts, "IECON '84", p.p. 40-45 discloses a technique which permits the motion of a terminal of the master arm to correspond on a 1:1 basis to the motion of a terminal of the slave arm having a different configuration from the former through high speed coordinate transformation calculation using a computer.
In accordance with the prior art technique described above, the ratio of the motion of each arm is 1:1 in order to bring the reference coordinates of the master arm and the slave arm and the two points of the arm terminals into conformity with one another. Therefore, when a fine movement is to be carried out by the slave arm, the master arm must carry out the fine movement in the same way as the operation required for the slave arm and when a rough motion is required for the slave arm, on the contrary, the master arm, too, must carry out a rough motion. Accordingly, there is left the problem that maneuverability of the master arm is not high in response to the contact of the work of the slave arm.
In view of the background described above, the present invention is directed to provide a controlling apparatus of a manipulator which can improve maneuverability of the master arm in response to the content of the work of the slave arm.